Ice skate



June 26, 1962 e. COUTURE ICE SKATE Filed Jan. 27, 1960 ATTORNEY United This invention relates to ice skates and particularly to a new type frame for securing the shoe attaching plate to the runner or blade of the skate.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a structure of this type which is economical to construct and assemble and which is stronger than those heretofore used.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a uni tary structure for securing the shoe attachment plate to the runner or blade in a manner assuring a uniform skate construction without the necessity for extreme care in assembling plate and runner, encountered where a large number of separate parts are required.

It will be noted the invention is applicable to straight or plane runners or to tubular skates wherein a tube is formed on or attached to a plane runner for reenforcing the skate.

The above and other objects of the invention will be clear from the following description when considered in connection with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the forward end of an ice skate constructed in accordance with my invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the construction shown in FIG. 1, taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the construction illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the blank from which the attachment frame is formed.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view, similar to FIG. 1, illustrating my invention applied to a tubular skate.

.FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view thereof, on the line 66 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view showing the entire ice skate of FIGS. 1-4 attached to a shoe.

Referring now to the details of the drawings, the ice skate includes a runner or blade 10 secured to an attachment frame 12, formed in accordance with my invention. The frame includes a shoe plate 14, shaped and sized for the shoe on which the skate is to be mounted as shown in FIG. 7.

It will be recognized that the strains and stresses on an ice skate are severe and that efforts to reinforce the frame not only increase the weight to an objectionable extent but seriously interfere with uniform and rapid assembly of the runner and frame.

These difficulties have been overcome in my present invention by providing a unitary frame which includes the shoe attachment plate and all supporting elements of the frame extending to the runner. Thus there is provided a blank or stamping shown in FIG. 4, with a main body or plate 14, of the size required for the particular shoe to which it is to be attached, and with the usual curvature for fitting the shoe. The usual openings 16 for nails or screws are provided and a central weight reducing opening 17 may be provided, if desired.

The forward projection 18 includes wings 19 and 20 and an attachment neck 22, considerably wider than the thickness of the blade 10. Thus when the wings 19 and 20 are bent downwardly along the dotted lines 23 (FIG. 4), and the entire forward projection 18 is bent downwardly at the neck 22, the wings are in position to be welded to the blade as shown at 24. The material between the the lines 23 thus becomes a transverse vertical strut 25, hugging the blade at its upwardly projecting atnt M 3,041,080 lcfi Patented June 26, 1962 forward end, and the wings become angular longitudinal struts 1'9 and 20, rigidly securing the blade to the plate 14.

There is provided a rearward projection 26 on the plate 14, forming wings 28 and '29, connected by a neck 30 of substantial length, preferably approximately one fourth the width of the projection for most skate types- The blank includes a slot 32 at the rearward end of the projection, centrally between the wings 28 and 29. The base of the slot preferably corresponds to the thickness of the runner and the slot may be flared from the base to the rearward end of each projection. The wings 28 and 29 are wide at their forward ends and extend forwardly beyond the neck 30 to provide attachment tips 33 and 34. The side edges are angled inwardly as they extend toward the rearward end of the projection 26. The outer rearward corners may be cut off as indicated at 36.

The projection 26, forming the wings 28 and 29, is bent downwardly at neck 30 and the wings 28 and 29 are bent forwardly on the angular lines 38 and 39 to form the three struts for supporting the rearward end of plate 14. The central portion 40 thus forms a transverse substantially vertical strut 40. The wings 28 and 29 extend forwardly therefrom to form the angular longitudinal struts 28 and 29 as shown. The tips 33 and 34 are bent outwardly and secured to the under surface of the plate, shown by spot welds 35 adjacent their (then) forward ends. The (then) lower converged edges of the wings are secured to the opposite faces of the runnor, as by spot welds, shown at 44. The rearward heel attachment may be provided by the usual circular or rectangular riser 46 secured to the runner and to the heel of the shoe 45 (see FIG. 7).

It will be noted the forward wings 19 and 20 and rearward wings 28 and 29 constitute longitudinal struts extending toward one another, beneath the plate 14 and that the rearward struts 28 and 29 extend upwardly from the blade 10 to the plate 14. The upper edges of the rearward projections or struts 28 and 29 contact and are secured to the plate 14 at positions spaced from the rearward end of the plate 14 and transverse strut 40, the struts converging and extending to the blade at points directly beneath the plate. There is accordingly pro vided a construction of unusual rigidity and strength.

My invention is equally applicable to tubular ice skates, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. In this type of skate the runner or blade 47 is reenforced by a split tube 48 having a generally cylindrical body 50, conforming to the shape of the runner, terminating in free edges 52 welded to the runner. In adapting my supporting frame to a tubular skate the forward end support is unchanged. The rearward support varies only in detail. The slot between the wings 28 and 29 has a circular upper configuration, shown at 53, corresponding to the upper surface of the tube and the side edges of the wings are spaced and curved, as shown at 54, in conformity with the width and curvature of the reenforcing tube.

In both forms of the invention the cut-off corners of the wings provide angled corners where they are secured to the runner as indicated at 36 in FIG. 1 and 36a in FIG. 4, thus avoiding the danger of pointed projecting corners.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that there is provided an integral unitary frame for mounting a skate blade or runner on a shoe. The blank can be easily stamped from sheet metal and the forward and rearward projections bent to the desired angles where they are spot welded to the runner. There are no extra parts to be collected and held in place as the frame is assembled on the runner. When completed the skate is of unusual strength for the light weight construction used. The integral construction provides a flared connection between the upper plate and the front end of the runner. There are provided angular integral cross braces for the rearward end of the plate, anchored to the skate runner by the end slots and strengthened by rigid struts extending longitudinally from the runner to the shoe attaching plate and secured toboth at spaced points. The ice skate thus constructed is unusually sturdy, is economical to fabricate and is of uniform construction.

The particular constructions here shown, while presently believed to be the best form of devices now known for the intended purpose, are set forth for purposes of illustration only, and not with any intention of limiting the invention, whose scope is set forth in the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. An ice skate comprising a runner, a frame for attaching said runner to a shoe comprising a transverse shoe attachment plate, a structure for securing an end of said plate to said runner and including a downwardly extending transverse strut, integral with said plate, extending from said plate to a point below the upper edge of said runner, with a central slot therein for receiving said runner, and longitudinally extending struts, integral with said downwardly extending strut, secured to said plate adjacent their forward upper ends at spaced points on said plate and inclined inwardly from spaced positions on said plate toward said runner at their lower ends and means for securing the lower ends of said struts rigidly to said runner.

2. An ice skate comprising a runner and an attachment frame, said frame comprising a unitary structure embodying a transverse shoe attachment plate and anchoring struts at the forward and rearward ends thereof, each formed as downwardly extending transverse struts with longitudinally extending projections extending toward one another beneath said plate and extending vertically from positions adjacent the side faces of said runner upwardly toward said plate, the lower portions of said projections from said forward and rearward transverse struts being welded to said runner at spaced points thereon, the upper edges of the projections from said rearward strut contacting and being welded to said plate at positions remote from the rearward end of said plate.

3. An ice skate comprising a blade and a shoe attachment frame, said frame including a transverse strut formed as an integral projection at an end of said plate, extending downwardly from said plate to a position adjacent said blade, longitudinal struts constituting integral projections formed on the side edges of said transverse strut and extending from said transverse strut longitudinally along and beneath said plate with the upper edges of said longitudinal struts in contact with said plate at points spaced from said transverse strut, said longitudinal struts extending vertically from said blade to said plate and means for securing said longitudinal struts rigidly to said blade at points directly beneath said plate.

4. The ice skate recited in claim 3, said longitudinal struts being inclined inwardly toward one another as they extend from said plate to positions adjacent said blade.

5. The ice skate recited in claim 4, and means for securing projecting portions of said. longitudinal struts to said plate at the points of contact of said longitudinal struts and said plate, spaced from said transverse strut.

6. An ice skate comprising a tubular runner and a transverse shoe attachment plate, means for securing said plate to said tubular runner comprising an integral strut projecting downwardly from said plate and formed of generally triangular shape, wider at its upper end and narrower at its lower end and forwardly projecting winged extensions shaped at their lower edges to the form of the adjacent upper portion of said tubular runner, said extensions projecting forwardly beneath said plate at an upwardly diverging angle, corresponding to the triangular shape of said downwardly extending strut, and means for securing said winged extensions to said tubular runner and to said plate, at positions spaced from said downwardly projecting strut.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,310,421 Leake July 22, 1919 1,472,886 Reach Nov. 6, 1923 2,463,949 Carlson Mar. 8, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 209,369 Switzerland June 17, 1940 

